Is "Nerd" The New Mainstream?

[PonyEcho 1,610]

Not really. Many people who call themselves nerds aren't really nerds at all, it's just a fashionable thing to say. The real nerds are too busy playing Magic to think about it.

 

true but that may be because the net has been cast so wide that some junk get brought in to it they might actually think there nerd or have even been called nerds. But I think its all down to how you express it, which is something non nerd don't quite get.

 

and as for Magic... this has been brought into the mainstream too but that's a good thing i think.

Edited October 1, 2012 by PonyEcho

[Guest]

i am part of the 1% and almost none of my friends are nerds i still get respect and i appreciate that they don't enjoy the stuff but we get along anyway. i use the internet for nerdy stuff and the like

[real_equestrian 30]

I like to think of it this way: there's a reason why some things in the media are called "pop-culture" food for thought.

 

Also this picture should get a laugh out of a few people here:

[rcollinz13 428]

I've always said that everybody is a nerd in some way, shape, or form. Jocks are essentially sports nerds, marching band are band geeks, gamers are video game nerds, etc. This isn't meant to be an insult though. As for the people who refuse to believe they are nerds, they are just in denial. Give them time.

[Zerrodo 104]

I'd get tons of shit from people if I went to school doing stuff like that. But I kind of like being one of the few kids in my area who likes Zelda, Castlevania, Pokemon, 70's/80's media, etc and isn't a complete jackass because it makes me different (and trust me, I don't want to be anything like those other kids I have to deal with every day).

[pjsforever 89]

Ugh, probably in the US. I wore a yoshi shirt to school and I thought I was going to get beat up for it, but I got complimented. Now, if I had worn something less acceptable like a MLP shirt I probably would have gotten a lot of crap for it. It's probably just a certain degree of nerdiness that's acceptable, like the amount posers use. ...I hate poser nerds. They seriously piss me off. "Oh em gee I play mario wii and watched one anime, I'm such a nerd with no lyf " "I <3 halo" (I bet you 5 bucks she never even finished one level) And also the popular kids that say they're nerds because they actually do their homework. "Oh my god I'm like the class nerd." Like, wow. Congrats.

Anyway, I'm like the lone nerd girl in my grade. Most of the other girls love modeling, fashion, and surf the internet for gossip on celebrities in the computer lab, and if not that they're not interested in reading or any nerdy activities. The nerd boys... I just never talk to them since they're kind of arrogant assholes... :/ So anyway, I think it's vaguely trendy among some guys and few attention seeking girls..

Edited October 2, 2012 by cleva

[Twiliscael 3,960]

I find it more that "hipster" is the new mainstream (ironically). I don't consider myself a hipster by any means, but any one of my friends who doesn't really use the internet or whatever always calls me hipster ans stuff. It's really annoying. Also, stuff like rage faces and memes are "cool" now, even though I thought everyone got over those things in like 2011. Also, jocks are now being looked down upon as being rude and all doing drugs, which is bullshit because I play 2 (possibly 3) sports and I am a fairly nice guy.

 

Whatevz man, society's gonna be weird like that.

[kirbyboi 588]

I don't really think the term 'nerd' is really that popular...at least where I am it isn't. However, it kinda irks me when those jocks or popular girls wear those accesories that say 'I love Nerds' when typically that stay away fromus Pokemon/Pony/Video game loving people. It kinda is pointless. For those types of people, it's just a gimmick. To make nerd look 'cool'.

 

And yeah,a true nerd (hehe heh....true nerd ) has that greasy black hair, pocket protector, tucked in shirt, all that stuff. Overtime, I think the new look of nerds are basically people who are seriously into videogames....like, well, me. However, there are definetely more of us than lets say 30 years ago. I guess some people are getting used to it. Not all, but some.

 

I still don't get why people still disrepect most of us... I mean, it's not like we ARE the cliche nerd. We're just normal kids who just happen to love certain video games and hobbies. What's wrong with that? I read some of your posts, and some of you get complimented by wearing video game-related stuff. I guess that goes to show that there are more 'nerds' in the world. There's always gonna be jocks, cliche popular girls, and all that. But there's just more 'nerds' than some decades ago...

 

Is it a trend? In my opinion, not really, as there are still not a lot of people who can accept what we like. However, I'm proud to be a brony, proud to be a Nintendo gamer...it's too bad people only judge us by our hobbies and who we are.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Pixiesong

[~Sugar Sprinkles~ 638]

Well I wear Mario shirts, Disney shirts, Brony shirts, Kingdom Hearts shirts, Hell, I even have Cheetah printed jeans I wore before. Being a nerd is AWESOME

[real_equestrian 30]

However, it kinda irks me when those jocks or popular girls wear those accesories that say 'I love Nerds' when typically that stay away fromus Pokemon/Pony/Video game loving people.

Those "I love nerds" type t-shirts are actually worn for a sort of ironic humour. It's like a really skinny our out of shape guy wearring a t-shirt that says "check out my six pack" or "welcome to the gun show". Therefore they should not be taken seriously. Who knows, maybe that t-shirt was on sale and that girl thought it would make her friends laugh.

 

I still don't get why people still disrepect most of us... I mean, it's not like we ARE the cliche nerd. We're just normal kids who just happen to love certain video games and hobbies. What's wrong with that?

That has something to do with something known by sociologists as: "social Darwinism" Charles Darwin, believed in Natural selection: species adapt to their surroundings to survive. Those who can't adapt are doomed. And only the strong survive.

That said: The jocks are ahead of the pack: they're stronger and more confident (perhaps overconfident sometimes) and have a high social standing. The "nerds" typically lack in those three departments. They don't want to be around the nerds, because for them, they represent weakness.

 

Take the Spartans for example, history's most famous jocks: (taken from 300)

 

King Leonidas (to the Persian messenger): "Submission? Well that's a bit of a problem. See, rumor has it the Athenians have already turned you down, and if those philosophers and, uh, boy-lovers have found that kind of nerve, then... (ignores his advisor) ... and, of course, Spartans have their reputation to consider. "

 

modern translation: "Were not tapping-out! where not like those Athenian gay nerds! We've got a reputation to keep!"

 

I've always felt that to become popular, you have to give-up a part of yourself in order to "fit-in" I lived my life being myself and being passionate about my interests, i may never have been popular but i still believe its more important to stay true to yourself. Because once high school is over, they're just going to be another member of society because by this point...

 

[5guysburgersnfries 216]

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Edited November 13, 2022 by 5guysburgersnfries

[CapnKrunk 307]

I guess so.But a lot of people think that wearing over sized glasses makes you a nerd.It doesn't .It just makes me facepalm. A real nerd knows his games,books,TV shows.ECT. You dont want to embarrass yourself by saying something witty like "My favorite digimon is pikachu!"

[PrincessCadance 19]

People at my school are like into sports, drugs, and whatever. So not really nerd there. But then a lot like Pokemon and I've seen guys playing Mario Kart on there DS and my math teacher let us play MK on his tv with a wii he bought for that reason. So, I dont think youd call it nerd. Or maybe your right. x3

 

Off topic a bit, but at my school apparently emos are now called seems or w/e. Wat. o__o

[Pony021 37]

Yea its defiantly the "mane-stream" at my school in New Zealand, it more sports this sports that which is fine i guess and the ones who balance nerd and sportsman/women often do the best, which works for me just fine xD but what does suprise me is that i havent found any bronies! :/ or maybe their all closet bronies like me :3 because people can be so critical and outcast you in an instant if you decicde to be a little different, grrrrrrrr i wish i was still in kindergarten where life was care free and nothing mattered but hey i've got a whole life ahead of me of paying bills..... "yay"... lets all make the most of what we have!! nerd or sportsmen, academic or entrepreneur, lets all make the most out of life!!!

[Nah 3,182]

Nerds aren't mainstream, well at my school they aren't. We have a lot of idiot nerds, but that's what happens when you live in an area obsessed with facebook, sports, pop music, and being stupid. Plus most people think the only decent anime con is the biggest gathering of gays and virgins. -_- Edited October 4, 2012 by Bricker

[real_equestrian 30]

I guess so.But a lot of people think that wearing over sized glasses makes you a nerd.It doesn't .It just makes me facepalm. A real nerd knows his games,books,TV shows.ECT. You dont want to embarrass yourself by saying something witty like "My favorite digimon is pikachu!"

 

Yeah, i saw that one too.

 

I feel its only recently that "nerds" feel that their territory is being invaded by "non-nerds" or "posers". I really don't remember a similar argument growing-up until a few years ago.

[Gears of Halo Duty V 394]

Not being mainstream is slowly becoming mainstream. It's a funny little cycle really. I see so many people trying to stay themselves from the "mainstream" model, that was once unique is now becoming more commonly seen.

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

If we're going to figure out whether or not being a nerd is now in vogue, I think we need to be on some level of agreement on what a nerd is. Is it an intellectual label or a superficial one? What is a nerd? I looked up two definitions and there seems to be some contradictions or incongruity:

• a stupid, irritating, ineffectual, or unattractive person.

When I was in school, I was a "nerd" for liking computers (those things that run our power grids and medical equipment) and for thinking literacy was important. So if I'm a nerd for enjoying computers, those things that save lives, allow communication from one person to another almost instantly regardless of distance; aid in the creation of other luxurious things, and give the military the ability to strike something on the other side of the world with pinpoint accuracy, doesn't that interest imply some level of intelligence and not stupidity? And given the apparent usefulness of those things, I think we can also rule out the "ineffectual" portion of that definition as well. Anybody who would use these nerdy inventions would have to share in the definition to some extent, and I would say it encompasses everybody since it's impossible to escape these things in our modern world. Whether or not somebody is irritating or attractive is subjective. I enjoy the company of a guy who sells radio time for a living, plays the piano and organ during most of his free time, and doesn't know what an "inside voice" is. I have no experience with any of those things and am soft-spoken; most others would find such a contrasting personality to be irritating, but he's a good guy who's shared a lot of good and bad times with me, and I love him like a brother.

 

Where does that leave us? Either this word has been misused by everybody I've ever heard use it or the definition is erroneous. Definition, the Second:

• an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit

The first point of this definition is in conflict with the first point of the original definition, so maybe they would cancel each other out if I hadn't already ruined the other one. In all honesty there's nothing disparaging about this definition, so again, either there's something wrong with it or everybody I've ever heard use it as an insult or an implication of abnormality was using it incorrectly.

 

 

 

If we're going to define a nerd as somebody with certain aesthetic tastes, then this is no more remarkable than greasers, beatniks, hippies, hipsters, goths, or any other trend you can think of. "Normal" people scoff at its conception and stop noticing after it becomes a regular part of their surroundings. If it has to do with somebody's passions or intellect, then I don't think it's becoming mainstream so much as former anti-nerds and their descendents are starting to realize that stupidity and shortsightedness won't get you very far. Most of those guys I went to school with are now working at Walmart and grocery stores because their grand plan of dropping out in 11th grade and playing professional football didn't pan out. But who could have foreseen that?

[real_equestrian 30]

Anybody who would use these nerdy inventions would have to share in the definition to some extent, and I would say it encompasses everybody since it's impossible to escape these things in our modern world.

I think that's why "nerds" are more accepted socially today then they were before is because since our world is very dependant on technology, people therefore dependant on the tech-savy folks to make sure their equipment if running properly.

 

I enjoy the company of a guy who sells radio time for a living, plays the piano and organ during most of his free time, and doesn't know what an "inside voice" is. I have no experience with any of those things and am soft-spoken; most others would find such a contrasting personality to be irritating, but he's a good guy who's shared a lot of good and bad times with me, and I love him like a brother.

I had a similar life experience with a Buddhist monk. He made a poverty vow yet he was the happiest man i ever knew with a great sense of humour.

 

If it has to do with somebody's passions or intellect, then I don't think it's becoming mainstream so much as former anti-nerds and their descendents are starting to realize that stupidity and shortsightedness won't get you very far.

I could not have put it better.

 

Most of those guys I went to school with are now working at Walmart and grocery stores because their grand plan of dropping out in 11th grade and playing professional football didn't pan out. But who could have foreseen that?

 

Note: Even Brock Lesnar din't make it to the NFL